Key Role Information

Salary
100,951.00 - 115,382.00
Job type
Full Time
Contract type
Fixed Term
Closing
07/06/2026 23:59
Interview
Week commencing 22 June 2026
Start
1 September 2026
Contract term
AYR - All year round
Pay grade
Leadership | L24 - L30
Department
The Village School
Key stage
Early Years, Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5
Hours per week
36.00
Weeks per year
52.000
Visa sponsorship
No

Your Role

Head of School: The Village School, London NW9

Outstanding Specialist SEND School

Compass Learning Partnership Multi-Academy Trust 

Salary: L24–L30, £100,951–£115,382 (Inner London) 

Fixed Term: Two Years, Subject to Review

Start Date: September 2026

"It takes a village to raise a child."

The Village School is seeking an exceptional, decisive and values-driven Head of School to lead our outstanding specialist community with clarity, ambition and purpose.

We are a thriving special school, previously judged Outstanding by Ofsted (June 2023), serving over 310 pupils aged 3 to 19 in the London Borough of Brent. All our pupils hold an Education, Health and Care Plan; many have a diagnosis of Autism or complex medical needs. Organised across five distinctive villages and three sites, our school is a place where, in the words of our inspectors, "there is no ceiling placed on what pupils can achieve," and we are determined to keep it that way.

This is a newly created post. Working in close partnership with the Director of Education at Compass Learning Partnership, the Head of School will provide strong, accountable and inspiring day-to-day leadership across the school - upholding and building upon our outstanding reputation, driving forward curriculum excellence, and ensuring every member of our talented staff team is led, developed and empowered to give their very best.

The successful candidate will provide direct line management to the Deputy Headteacher, three Assistant Headteachers, five Key Stage Leads and the Head of Therapy, and will be a key member of a committed Senior Leadership Team ready to work in partnership with new leadership, with clear direction and accountability.

We are looking for a leader who:

  • Leads with confidence, integrity and high expectations - of themselves, of their team and of every pupil
  • Has a proven track record of strong, effective people management and the ability to hold leaders to account with compassion and clarity
  • Can drive and develop an ambitious, needs-led curriculum across a specialist SEND setting, from EYFS through to Sixth Form and Post-16
  • Knows how to delegate effectively and build leadership capacity at every level
  • Is committed to Preparing for Adulthood and to developing meaningful outcomes for young people with SEND
  • Understands the unique demands of leading a multi-site specialist school and thrives under the strategic leadership and support of the Director of Education
  • Builds authentic, trusting partnerships with families, the Local Authority and multi-agency professionals

We offer:

  • A school previously judged Outstanding by Ofsted (June 2023) and celebrated by Challenge Partners
  • A rich, integrated curriculum spanning EYFS through to Year 14
  • On-site therapeutic provision delivered through a multidisciplinary team, with services continuing to develop in line with pupil needs
  • A stable, experienced and skilled Senior Leadership Team
  • Close, collegiate support from the Director of Education and Compass Learning Partnership, a two-school specialist SEND MAT with a track record of outstanding practice
  • The opportunity to make a profound and lasting difference to the lives of children and young people with SEND

School visits are warmly encouraged for external candidates on Tuesday, 2 June 2026. To arrange a visit time, please get in touch with hr-clp@compasslp.co.uk and confirm your interest by 3 pm on Monday, 1 June 2026.

Closing date: Sunday, 7 June 2026 at 23:59

Shortlisting: Week commencing Monday, 8 June 2026

Interviews: Week commencing Monday, 22 June 2026

The selection process will be comprehensive and will include a candidate presentation, a written exercise and a formal panel interview. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates.

If you are a leader ready to step up, lead decisively, and make a genuine difference, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Qualifications

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)essential
Degree or equivalent qualificationessential
NPQH or SENCO qualification, or willingness to work towardsessential
Both NPQH and NASENCO / NPQ for SENCOdesirable
Postgraduate qualification in Special Educational Needs, Autism, Inclusion or a related fielddesirable

Skills

CPD / Training

Evidence of sustained and relevant continued professional developmentessential
DSL qualification

Experience

Significant senior leadership experience in a specialist SEND or complex needs school settingessential
A demonstrable and proven track record of strong, effective people management, including the ability to lead, develop and hold other leaders to account with confidence and clarityessential
Proven experience of developing and leading an ambitious, needs-led curriculum in a SEND context, across multiple phases or key stagesessential
Experience of effective delegation and building leadership capacity at all levels of a schoolessential
Experience of leading and managing staff within a multidisciplinary or transdisciplinary teamessential
Experience of EHCP processes, Annual Reviews and statutory SEND frameworksessential
Experience of safeguarding leadership in a SEND or complex needs settingessential
Experience of Preparing for Adulthood frameworks and Post-16 SEND provisionessential
Experience of using assessment and pupil progress data to drive improvement in a SEND schoolessential
Experience of building strong partnerships with families and multi-agency professionalsessential
Experience of building strong partnerships with families and multi-agency professionalsessential
Experience of supporting ITT or early career teacher development in a SEND setting
DSL experience
Experience of working collaboratively within a Multi-Academy Trust, under the direction of a Director of Education or equivalent
Experience within a Group 8 or comparable specialist SEND school
Experience of leading a school or provision across multiple sites
Experience of developing careers education

Leadership

Decisive, confident and inspiring leadership, able to set clear expectations and direction, and ensure they are metessential
Proven ability to lead, manage and hold to account a Senior Leadership Team, with the interpersonal skill to do so in a way that is both challenging and supportiveessential
The ability to identify where leadership capacity is underused and to develop and empower leaders to step up and take ownershipessential
Strong strategic thinking and sound, confident decision-makingessential
Excellent communication skills, clear and direct with staff, warm and trusted by families, credible and professional with governors and external partnersessential
Ability to use data meaningfully in a SEND context to monitor progress and drive improvementessential
The ability to manage competing priorities effectively across multiple sitesessential
Strong curriculum development skills, with the ability to translate SEND educational principles into coherent, ambitious and effective classroom practiceessential

Personal Attributes

An unshakeable belief in the potential of every child and young person, regardless of the complexity of their needsessential
The personal authority and professional confidence to lead a large school firmly and fairly from day oneessential
Courage to make difficult decisions, to have honest conversations and to hold high standards consistentlyessential
Genuine commitment to inclusion as a lived experience for every learneressential
Warmth, empathy and the ability to build trusting, authentic relationships across the school communityessential
Resilience, adaptability and sustained positivity under pressureessential
A collaborative and solution-focused approach, consistent with the ethos of Compass Learning Partnershipessential
Integrity and principled professionalism in all aspects of leadershipessential
An absolute commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young peopleessential

The Village School

Human Resources

hr-clp@compasslp.co.uk

Grove Park
Kingsbury
London
London
NW9 0JY
Human Resources
hr-clp@compasslp.co.uk

Safeguarding Information


Protection of Children

Compass Learning Partnership is required under law and guidance to check the criminal background of all employees. Decisions to appoint will be subject to consideration of an enhanced disclosure, including a Barred List check, from the Disclosure and Barring Service. Because of the nature of the work for which you are applying, this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013 and 2020). 

The amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020) provides that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’. This means that they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account.

Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website, which can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974

If shortlisted for an interview you will be required to disclose to us information about any:

• adult cautions (simple or conditional)

• unspent conditional cautions

• unspent convictions in a Court of Law; and

• spent convictions that are not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020

so that a police check can be carried out if you are offered an appointment. This information can be disclosed either verbally at interview or by completing a relevant conviction form after interview if that is your preference.

If you are subsequently employed by Compass Learning Partnership and it is found that you failed to disclose any relevant previous convictions or cautions as defined above, this could result in dismissal, or disciplinary action being taken by Compass Learning Partnership. During your employment with the Compass Learning Partnership, should you be arrested by the police you are obliged to notify the Headteacher of this immediately (even if de-arrested or all charges dropped). Failure to do so could result in disciplinary action being taken which could result in dismissal. All information will be treated in confidence and will only be considered in relation to any application for posts for which the exemption order applies. 

It is an offence for anyone to apply for a role if they are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. 

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will receive the Safeguarding Policy that outlines the duties and responsibilities of the employer and all employees.


Online Checks

In accordance with our statutory obligations under Keeping Children Safe in Education, Compass Learning Partnership is required to conduct an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted candidates. This may help identify any incidents or issues that have happened, and are publicly available online, which Compass Learning Partnership might want to explore with you at interview.

We carry out a social media search using a trusted third party. They will be in touch with you by email with a link to their site for the search to be carried out on publicly available information.

If you would like to inform us of anything that might come to light when we perform this search, please let us know at hr-clp@compasslp.co.uk.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974